Professional Practice & Seminar Sec 1

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2013:

100% attendance is mandatory in all practicum subjects.

Candidates need to do one learning area and at least one of

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

The Professional Practice and Seminar Program provides an integrated focus for all subjects taught in the semester and addresses Teacher Candidates’ developing understandings of professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement. The school placement focuses on consolidating key learnings from each of the CORE and Learning Area subjects. It assists Teacher Candidates develop an understanding of school organisation, principles of learning and teaching and management of classrooms and their application to content areas for teaching. Teacher Candidates will analyse student characteristics to identify learning and teaching strategies effective for individual students and productive classrooms.

Teacher Candidates are mentored by experienced teachers in collaboration with Clinical Specialists who are engaged in the on-campus teaching program, and Teaching Fellows based in schools. The Professional Practice Seminars focus on National standards and provide Teacher Candidates with opportunities to examine theoretical frameworks and associated practical tasks that have been assigned during the placement. Seminars focus on one or more of the National standards and provide opportunities for self assessment, document and scenario analysis and in depth reflection of theory and practice concerning links between instructional processes and student centred learning.

Through seminars, and through planning for learning, Teacher Candidates will utilise personal and subject specific literacy and numeracy.

100% attendance of Practicum days is mandatory.

On completion of this subject Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Apply professional criteria to their own teaching and professional activity as outlined in the National AITSL Standards for Graduating Teachers;
• Understand how principles of learning and teaching are able to be adapted to meet the needs of individual students;
• Analyse and generate diverse sources of data to inform clinical judgments informing the implementation of teaching interventions;
• Demonstrate an understanding of how theory and research informs practice;
• Use constructive criticism and discussion to evaluate and reflect on values and practices in relation to professional practice;
• Communicate effectively with other professionals, and provide feedback to students to assist their learning;
• Use numeracy effectively to calculate assessment percentages, interpret statistical information and plan the length of activities and units of work;
• Use subject specific numeracy effectively in the context of teaching.

The subject covers a range of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (for Graduate Teachers). In particular, the subject will contribute to students attaining the following standards:

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs

3.3 Use teaching strategies

5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements

5.4 Interpret student data

6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice

6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice

7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities

7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements

There are 2 assessment tasks (Teacher Candidates must pass both components):

• Teaching Performance, due upon completion of placement, 60%
• Professional Practice Folder, due throughout placement, 40%

There are three Hurdle Requirements:

• Attendance on all days of placement
• Attendance and preparation for all 4 Practicum Seminars throughout the placement
• Development and maintenance of Professional Practice Folder throughout placement

Collection of readings.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their professional practice in teaching;
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of teaching as interventionist practice;
• Use evidence to make clinical judgements;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base that is evident in their teaching.: